Alethea
by annethewordbender
Summary: Alethea is the daughter of Zuko and Katara. The past repeats as she is forced to duel her father with no bending. Worse, Zuko's having an affair with Mai and her mother is sent out of the country. What can she do when she finds she's been betrothed?
1. Chapter 1

**This is a revised version of my story. It was going in a direction that I did not want it to go. I hope you like this version better. I think that the characters are more in character and they react better. I will hopefully get the rest of the chapters up before school starts the 27th. :D So, ENJOY! :) **

**Oh Yea, I don't own Avatar (darn :c)  
**

* * *

"Princess, the Fire Lord will be here soon, best get the dress on quickly." Alethea sighed, as the maid walked away, she knew her maid was right, but Agni knew that she didn't want to. The Princess always dreaded these visits. They meant ridicule at the hands of her father, Fire Lord Zuko. It was never said to her, around her or about her, everything that needed to be said about how he was disappointed was said with his eyes and expression. He had this habit of looking at Alethea with a pitying look, while he looked at her siblings with absolute joy in his eyes. Alethea looked at the dress she was holding; it was a beautiful strapless, pink satin floor length dress with a tight bodice and it had a shawl that went with it. She stepped out from behind the screen and several servants rushed forward as she went toward the vanity. After about twenty minutes, her hair was styled up so that her hair was in a bun behind her head, fastened with a small golden tiara. Her blue eyes seemed to ripple and shine like water when she looked at herself in the mirror, but they changed to icebergs when the maid shortly told her that her father was waiting downstairs for her.

She descended the house's staircase that entered into the parlor where the fire lord was waiting; she noticed her twin brother talking to her father and her younger sister sitting primly on the ottoman. The parlor was used rarely except for when the fire lord and his waterbender wife, Katara, visited, and had a large chair that by the head had an oil lamp that was burning when the Fire Lord sat in the chair. Most of the furniture in the room was red except for a blue chair reserved for either Alethea or the Fire Lady. It was a simple chair, but it had blue paint that had some red steaks in it and a blue satin back and seat. The chair was on the left of the Fire Lord's seat and Alexei's seat was on the right side. Alexei was her twin brother who was about six hours older than her, and was the heir to the crown instead of her. They, however, could not be any more different. He had black hair and she had brown. She had blue eyes like their mother; he had hazel eyes like their father. She was high-strung and he was shy around large crowds. Even with their differences they were inseparable and had some lessons together. But it was obvious to many people that the Fire Lord liked Alexei better than Alethea. The two princesses, however, could not have been more different.

The youngest of the trio was Princess Veronica. Vicky, as her siblings called her 'cause she was so 'icky', was the most spoiled of the three. She was only nine and she had more things than Alethea had. She had been spoiled by the nurses; they were told to give her anything she wanted since she was born. Whenever she did something and Alexei wrote to Father, he said that they were exaggerating and they should be nicer to Veronica. The young princess was certainly beautiful even at nine and she knew and used it to her advantage at school. Veronica had no bending abilities, whereas Alexei could firebend. Alethea was her mother's favorite because she could bend water, and she was secretly glad to have a water bender for a daughter so the tradition would continue in her family.

As she descended the stairs, her father looked up as she curtsied to the Fire Lord. He nodded his head as an indication to rise and sit down. Alethea knew this and played her part to a dot, as if putting on a professional play. She sat down in the chair that was especially reserved for her and her mother as waterbenders in the royal family. She sat there primly paying close attention to the conversation in case her father asked her a question. She wanted immensely to join in on the conversation, but knew that it was not proper and would get a lecture from Father and her governess later if she did.

So after about an hour of sitting there looking pretty and not being able to show her intelligence, a servant came in telling the fire lord she was sorry but the Princess had her acrobat lessons to attend. The fire lord glanced at Alethea but there was no emotion on her face, something she had inherited from him. He nodded and said, "Alethea, go get your training outfit on and we will all watch you practice." As he looked over at her, she gracefully rose to her feet and bowed. "Yes, Father," she said in a slightly bored voice. Then she swished out of the room and up the stairs to her room.

She was wondering which outfit to wear, the blue one, the gold one, the red one or the blue and red one. She eventually decided on the blue wrap top with a blue mid-thigh skirt that had white tights that went down to her knees. Her normal training hairdo was a simple braid with two strands of hair on either side of her face. Her braid went down to about the small of her back and was fastened at the end with a simple hair tie. She took off all of the makeup she was wearing and she looked at herself and smiled. This was what she loved to look like; simple, clean; ready for action.

She sighed, her father would criticize everything she did even if it was absolutely perfect. Her mother said that it was because he loved her but she thought that he never wanted a daughter as it would reminded him of his sister Azula, but then she came along. Fire lady Katara asid that when she was born Zuko thought she was the cutest baby he had seen.

She put the finishing touches on her outfit and looked in the mirror to double check. She got up and walked out of the room ready to face whatever task her father threw at her.

She squinted as the bright sun made its way into her eyes. This was the perfect day to bend, but when she was learning what Master Ty Lee knew, she wasn't allowed to bend. Ty Lee made acrobatics and pressure points look easy, but when Alethea tried, it looked very hard. When her father told her it was for her own good so that if anyone disabled her bending she could still fight back, she thought that he just wanted to keep her busy and out of trouble.

When she came out to the arena, she saw that the family was all there, except for her parents. She knew her mother was in shame back at the palace, but she didn't know where her father was. Unfortunatly her father's mistress Mai was there watching her with a smirk on her face like she knew something the princess didn't.

She knew that this was her time to shine in front of her father and it gave her great satisfaction knowing she could do it. Alexei looked in her direction wistfully and knew exactly what he was thinking. He had told her many times that he wished he could learn acrobats with her, but never voiced this opinion to their father because they both knew that nothing would come out of it. She saw her Ty Lee come out of a door to a changing room, and she realized that this wasn't going to be a normal lesson.

Ty Lee came up and they bowed to each other and then Ty Lee said, "We are going to try something new today and you should do well, but remember your performance reflects on both of us." It was then that she realized who she was facing as Ty Lee made her way to the middle of the platform. She was about to face her father in a Kai. Then, to make matters worse, she heard her teacher proclaim, "The crown Princess will face her father's firebending and see how she fairs." She now realized what Mai was smirking about, and her eyes became wide as saucers when she saw her father as she turned around to face the arena. "Begin!" she heard Ty Lee say.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this story! I will try to keep them coming! :D**

**-Giggles **


	2. Chapter 2

She winced as the royal doctor's assistant treated her burns and the huge bruise. There weren't that many, but they still hurt. She sighed as she thought back to the match. Most of it passed as a blur, but there were certain things she could remember.

Mai's smirking face each time she fell to the ground still made her blood boil. It was because of that image that she had gotten up and looked her father squarely in the eyes to continue the fight. The fight had lasted for awhile, but Alethea knew that if she beat her father he would be mad at her, or happy she wasn't sure, but she wasn't willing to risk her father's temper over the Kai.

Lady Mai looked like she wanted to fight Alethea a couple times because she had landed some punches on the Fire Lord, but nothing happened. Veronica was looking on with boredom and she ended up leaving in the middle of the whole thing, not caring the outcome. Alethea knew that Alexei was silently rooting for her, but didn't dare voice his opinion.

She had let down her guard quite obviously and she was hit in the side with a fist, not a flaming fist as she feared, so it wasn't too bad. There was a blue-eyed teen that wondered out to the arena hearing the noise, and she thought he was cute. She had seen him smile at her when she got up from the ground as the teacher declared the end of the match and the Fire Lord the winner. She blacked out for a moment and when she came to, the boy was gone.

She wished her mother was here to heal her, but unfortunately she was at the palace. This guy who claimed to be a doctor's assistant was hurting her instead of helping her. Alethea could do basic healing, but her mother was much better than her.

She didn't dare to experiment right now, as some people got kind of freaked out about the princess healing because they hadn't seen it before. They tended to think she was some kind of witch, so not wanting to be too different, she had stopped healing herself and only learned it in secret. She winced as the assistant put too much force on the burn without a large amount of aloe.

The doctor walked in from the other room where her father was and scolded the assistant for being so careless and dismissed him from the room. He looked at her like she was acting like a child who did some thing stupid, but it being funny at the same time.

"Can't you heal? They would feel much better." He said gesturing to the burns on her arms. Alethea looked sheepish and got to work while the doctor talked to her. "Your father is a master bender and you are almost a master in acrobatics and Chi. You landed a couple very good punches on him. They left good sized marks that he will have to be careful of where his body lays when he goes to sleep," the kind healer with a laugh in his voice told her. She looked up with a huge grin on her face and the water fell to the ground forgotten.

"Are you serious? I mean, I knew I landed some punches on him, but he seemed unfazed."

"Your father has learned to hide his pain well. When he came to me after the fateful Agni Kai those many years ago, he was in immense pain. You might not believe it now but he cried from the shock and pain he was suffering from even though the tears where adding to his pain. Your grandfather, then Fire Lord Ozai and the one who gave him the scar you see today, came in and saw the tears on his face. He stormed over and told him that if he didn't stop crying that he would give him something else to cry about. He stopped crying dried the tears and stuffed all of his emotions inside of himself even though he was only fourteen years old, and just got banished from his home. Anyway, General Iroh stepped in between him and his father and told him to leave him alone and to get out if he couldn't be civil to his son. Zuko looked up to Iroh as a father from that point on, even if he didn't know it at that time. That's why he wants you and Alexei to be very strong, so you can protect your nation. He was very impressed with your performance; now pick up that water before you can't heal those burns anymore and have those burns forever," the doctor reminded her. A servant suddenly poked her head in the door after a quick rap of her knuckles.

"Princess, there is someone here to see you," the girl said with a curtsy.

"Then send him in."

"Yes, princess, you can go in," she said over her shoulder to the mysterious person behind her as she left.

"Thank you." The boy with the stunning blue eyes walked in and gave Alethea a sight bow and as he straightened smiled at the princess. He had short, spiky, dark brown hair that had some blue in it, obviously some hair dye that hinted to his heritage. He was lanky and well built probably after many hours of training. "My name is Wen. It is an honor to meet you princess."

"Hello. Why did you come to see me?" she asked obviously puzzled about why he was here.

"I am new to the Fire Nation capital. My family moved here from a southern Earth Kingdom territory and I had heard stories of the fair princess who lived in Sozin. When we moved close to here I told my parents that I wanted to see the princess up close," The doctor took this time to slip into the Fire Lord's room that adjoined the Princess's to tell him of this guest of the princesses. Alethea looked a little offended but he had more to say so she shut up. "I hope we can be friends because I would be honored, my Princess"

The doctor had slipped into the Fire Lord's chambers and told him of the visitor and his intentions. The fire lord said thoughtfully, "It will be good for her to have a friend as she's staying here." The doctor was surprised at this, but he did not let his face show it. Instead he inclined his head and took his leave.

Alethea was saying to Wen that she would like to be friends and that she appreciated him coming to talk to her. Wen and the doctor crossed paths as Wen left and the doctor came in. "Alethea! You are not healing yourself! Do you want to have scars?" and then he said the rest in a whisper. "Your father really is proud of you, do not worry about your worth in his eyes, you have proved yourself today. And don't stop healing until you are done!" he finished strongly.

The doctor left the room to take care of some other patients and left the Fire Princess alone with her thoughts.

The Fire Lord was definitely thinking hard about the boy who had stopped by. He knew that this boy was a water tribe native and was an orphan. His parents, who had adopted him twelve years ago after a pirate raid left both his adopted parents childless and him parentless, had come to him when they got back to the Fire Nation and asked if they could adopt him since they had bonded on the way to the Fire Nation. He liked this boy and admired his moxy, mostly because the boy reminded him of many years ago when he first set foot in the Southern Water Tribe and saw all of the little boys that did not fathers because they were at war. From what the father had told him about him when they last had a council meeting, he was a very accomplished young man.

He was also happy to hear that his daughter would be alright and wasn't too hurt. He was only hard on her because he wanted her to be the best that she could be. Katara had told her that his love and impatience could be misinterpreted as loathing, like he had felt with his father, but he hadn't listened until now.

She would just be starting At the Royal Fire Academy for Girls this year instead of later because the only people who would teach politics to girls worked at the school, and instead of taking them away from the school, he would send Alethea to them. He had to admit that he was a little nervous about sending Alethea away out of his control; she was his favorite even though he knew he had a cruddy way of showing it.

He was frustrated with Veronica at the moment because she had come in late and wouldn't tell him where she was. And anyway his daughter was spoiled rotten, and he didn't know what to do. He knew that this was mostly his fault because he didn't really care what she did and it showed in how she could do everything she wanted to. She could do that since he had decided to not put her in line for the throne.

Alethea, on the other hand, he wanted to protect from the world; he was Fire Lord after all! Surely he of all people could protect her from the world and its cruelty! Katara told him that he wouldn't be able to and that she would end up despising him, but he wouldn't listen. His little girl would not grow up! She would be Daddy's little girl forever! Even as he kept telling himself that what she had shown.

All of a sudden Mai walked in, breaking his train of thought. "So, how are you? I hope that little waterbender didn't hurt you too much," she asked in a slightly bored voice that had an edge to it, which he took as hostility for his daughter.

Zuko knew that she didn't like Alethea because she had been his girlfriend when news came to him that he had to marry Katara. He had planning to propose to Mai when the news came, but put duty before the heart as he had always done. He had many good years with Katara, but he realized that he had more feelings for Mai than Katara. Katara could do anything she liked with her life once the divorce happened, but he really didn't care. Unfortunately the marriage needed to happen soon because he had made some mistakes.

He knew Alethea would hate him even more, but it couldn't be helped, especially now. He also knew that Alexei would be mad at him for the time being. This was just something they would all have to live with for now. After all, it was his mistake and he had to protect the honor of Mai, his oldest friend, love and confidant. The Fire Lord heard laughter in the next room and smiled, his little girl was still there and at the end of the day that was all that mattered.

Meanwhile, the Princess who was laughing was laughing at her brothers' lame imitation of the fight. Alexei was being a goof and making fun of the people n the sidelines. Mai's expressions according to each punch and blow, Victoria's bored response to it all, and Ty Lee's suppressed excitement at the Kai. "I could tell she was trying to keep all of that bubbly excitement contained at your exceptional performance," Alexei said to his sister. "You did great, sis!" he said with a wide grin on his face.

A servant knocked on the doorway, bowing to each of the twins. "Princess, you have a letter," the young girl said to royal shoes, obviously shy in their presence. She handed the letter over, made two quick bows and then made a hasty exit.

The siblings looked at each other and then looked at the letter. "I wonder who it's from," wondered Alexei out loud.

"Who knows?" replied Alethea. "I think I should open it." She tore open the blue wax seal and smiled. "It's from Miyu! She says that Uncle Sokka is coming to talk to father about some planned something or rather. Miyu doesn't really know, but she convinced her father to let her come and stay with us while the big-wigs talk things out! This is so awesome!" Alethea put the letter down and jumped off the exam table, happy to have something to look forward to.

As she hopped out the door, she bumped into the stormy, dark, and scary, Lady Mai. Alethea's face became a mask of fright, unsure of what was going to happen.


	3. Chapter 3

**Once again as I didn't say it last chapter, I do not own Avatar.  
Sorry for the major breaks in the story, I am working on fixing that as soon as possible. :D **

**So… ENJOY!**

**

* * *

**

Alethea took a hurried step backwards, almost tripping over her brother who was standing behind her. "I am sorry. I hope you accept my humble apologies, Lady Mai. Since am a member of the royal family, it is my duty to bring honor to my father's name. I hope I have not disgraced myself and my father in your eyes," Alethea said this automatically as she had been taught to say. Of course she didn't mean it, but since she said it Lady Mai could not fault her for it. Even though Mai could not now respond how she wanted to, her eyes shot daggers at the young royal.

Alethea knew for a fact that Mai had given up the throwing daggers she used to hide up her sleeves, that should have made her feel better, but the way Mai looked at her made Alethea doubt the intelligence. "Very well, I accept," she said as she turned on her heel and stalked off down the hall.

"Oooh, creepy," remarked Alexei, watching the flowing robes whip around the corner. "I don't think she likes us very much, do you?"

"No, I don't think so either. Anyway, let's go outside, it's very warm in here, thanks to your very warm firebending." she elbowed her brother with a wry grin on her face.

"Hey, I was gonna protect you if something went wrong!" he said defensively. Alethea just rolled her eyes. Her brother sometimes acted just like their Water Tribe Chief, Uncle Sokka. Their mother used to tell them stories about days back in the tribe, and the things he would get himself into. They walked outside to get fresh air, to the sound of a squabble.

"Hey get off of me, good sir! I am a friend of the family's! Don't touch me!" they heard a woman screaming at an unseen guard. They ran over to see a guard roughly handle a cloaked young woman.

"Guard! Release her! If she really is a family friend, she will be accepted as one, if not…" he trailed off, everyone obviously understanding what Alexei meant. The guard let the woman go as if she had shocked him, then bowed and apologized to the woman.

"Thank you, my Prince," the lady said as she bowed to the royals. "I really am sorry for the interruption, but I need to talk to the both of you." Alexei nodded and the three of them walked to the back of the estate. There was a small garden there that was perfectly concealed. "I think that this meeting would be better face to face, so…" the lady reached up to her hood and dropped it behind her head. "Now, that is better. I can finally see what is going on," she sat back with a satisfied smile on her face. "I really am going to miss this place. Many memories were made here. Well, that is all in the past now. Listen, I must leave the Fire Nation, my presence here is unwelcome and the past couple months have been turbulent at best and it is long time I disappear." She handed each of them a letter sealed in blue wax. "DO not let these be seen by anyone else, they are for your eyes only. If you wish to see each other's letter, you may, but only with permission from the respective owners. Goodbye and be careful." The beautiful woman left the property through the back, obviously wanting secrecy. The teens heard some slicing sounds and some muffled grunts from the guards as she escaped. Alexei and Alethea looked at each other with wide eyes, not knowing what the future held for them.

As the secret meeting was taking place in the gardens, the adults also were talking amongst themselves. They had returned to a spot on the beach that held much meaning for all of them, but even though she was locked up some where, the campfire seemed wrong without her. But nothing was secret about their meeting; eavesdroppers would have heard three old friends catching up with each other.

"So, how has life been here on Ember Island, Ty Lee? It can't be that bad, being so close to the beach everyday," Zuko was asking his bubbly old friend.

"It's great! And your daughter! Well she is a wonderful pupil! You know I sometimes visit this place from time to time to remember the old days, when every thing was a matter of life and death, but the beach was just someplace we could chill out and relax," Ty Lee mellowed out at the end reminiscing those days.

They all stared into the fire and remembered that day when they came here last. Mai spoke up with, "I miss that time we were here, when we didn't have many things to worry about. Zuko wasn't the leader of the Fire Nation, and likely never would have been; I was planning on marring him once the stupid war was over, after he apologized for breaking up with me," Mai shot a glance at Zuko, who had a sheepish grin on his face, remembering that fiasco. "I wasn't carrying another life inside of me, who is dependent on a man to help it survive." At this Ty Lee shot a sharp glance at the two people she had called friends for how many years, but both of them were looking at the fire avoiding eye contact.

"And I would have never thought that I would ever divorce my wife to take care of another woman whom I love more than I ever thought. I thought that Azula would have killed me by now, so she could have the throne." Zuko sighed the thought of his sister would have depressed Ty Lee and Mai, but when he looked up, they were all sympathy for him and didn't seem to care about their lost 'friend.' "I never would have thought that I would have three kids in that time." He thought about his fourteen year old twins, how strong they were, and he thought of his youngest daughter, the brat that almost resembled Azula, but wasn't nearly as psychopathic as his sister had ever been. He sighed, they meant the world to him and what did he have to show for it? He shook his head and stared at the fire almost mesmerized by the flames.

As the three adults walked back to the royal house, they saw Alethea and Alexei race up and disappear inside. _Hmm, _he wondered silently, _I wonder what that was about._ When they came upon a small guest house, Ty Lee bowed to the Fire Lord and nodded to Mai. The two nobles nodded back and continued on their way, alone at last, as Ty Lee had gone to her house for the night. "What are we going to do once we get back to the Capital?" asked Mai, anxious about the current Fire Lady, who had just disappeared according to her spies. She wanted to make sure her future husband was in this 100 percent.

"Why, we are going to get married," He said in an excited whisper. The guards hardly needed to hear the details of their love life. "Once Katara signs the papers, everything will be free and clear." The papers made it clear that the twins were in line for the throne, and then after that any other children he might have, with any other woman. Victoria, even at her young age, had declined the throne because she, one, wasn't a bender, and two, hated the politics. She only cared for the money and status she would have as princess.

Mai hated those papers with a vengeance, as they put her child after the water witches' children, and any children they then might have. She sighed as they parted ways in the beach house, life just hated her didn't it? _Oh well, _she thought, _tomorrow _is _another day._

* * *

**So I know that this is short, but it's more of a building chapter.  
So Zuko feels bad, hmm, but looks like it didn't change anything.  
Who is that mysterious woman the twins talked to? See if you can guess! ****:) **

**Have fun in real life! -Giggles :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Miyu left quietly and told the attendants that the princess was asleep. Then, once she had taken care of her cousin, she told the ladies behind the front desk what she wanted to do and followed them into the pedicure room.

Alethea, who was sleeping soundly, all of a sudden flipped onto her side as if she was jabbed by something hard. In fact, Alethea's dream had just turned to a nightmare.

She had been dreaming of how happy her family was, but then all of a sudden her father turned violent and started to hit her. This, of course, was a dream, but Alethea didn't know that, so she tried to protect herself.

Suddenly, she was alone in a dark room. She started to call out for Alexei, but there was no answer. As she started to look around, she noticed she was in a swamp and that there was a blue monkey meditating on top of a hill. She sloshed through the swamp to ask the monkey where she was, for she was completely disoriented.

When she tapped the monkey on the shoulder, it opened one eye hesitantly then started yelling at her. "Leave me alone! Can't you see that I'm meditating?" Alethea shrank back and realized that this didn't feel like a dream for one thing and secondly, it hurt when she pinched herself.

She got up her courage to yell back at the monkey, who by this point had closed his eye again and turned around, "I'm _sorry_ that I have no idea where I am; could you _please_ enlighten me?"

The monkey looked at her and said, "You are in the spirit world; there are you happy? Now leave me alone, girl." With that, he leaped away, leaving Alethea there completely dumbstruck. Alethea had no idea _why_ she was in the spirit world, for as far as she knew she wasn't dead.

"Alethea, it is good to see you again!" boomed a voice from behind her. She turned around thinking that the voice sounded familiar. When she had turned around completely, she saw her Great-Uncle Iroh standing there with his arms wide open. She didn't think, she just ran straight in to his arms and nuzzled into his stomach.

"Mhmhmmnhnmhnhmnmhn?" mumbled Alethea into his stomach.

He pulled her away from his stomach and asked, "What?" with a huge smile on his face.

She took a deep breath then said slower, "Why am I here? I'm not dead am I?" Iroh just chuckled, shook his head, and told her that she wasn't dead. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good," was all she said.

"As for the other question, that will be answered in due time. But I want to know how you are doing, Ali." He patted the ground next to a stump as he sat down. "The best thing about the Spirit World is there is no pain!" he chuckled as they sat down together. For the next hour (or so it seemed Alethea, but she wasn't sure how time went in the spirit world) she told of everything that had happened since Iroh's funeral (which was a while ago) up to the spa.

The whole time Iroh was showing the correct emotion for every story and nodding empathetically through the entire tale. At the parts with Zuko and Mai, he frowned very deeply and muttered to himself.

When she was done, he got up and told her that she would find out why she was here soon, "But, right now stay right behind me, as not everything in the Spirit World is wholesome and nice."

"You mean like the Face-stealer, right?" asked Alethea.

"Yes, my dear, exactly like that," replied Iroh like a Grandfather would tell his young granddaughter something of utmost seriousness. She clutched the back of his robes as if she was five and stayed close behind him as he lead the way through the unknown swamp. They mostly stayed on the grass and stayed away from the caves.

They came all of sudden to a forest in the middle of the swamp. Iroh told Alethea to stay where she was until he came out. "I will be back, do not worry, my little dumpling." Then he walked into the forest and disappeared from view.

Alethea sat down because she had no idea how long her Great-Uncle would be. She found the ground very soft and squishy. She leaped up with a shriek feeling like her back got poked with a slimy tentacle, almost like the octopuses she had seen in the Northern Water Tribe. She looked down and it was still grass, with no trace of anything that could give her a feeling that weird. She also felt her back, just in case.

"What are you doing?" a strange voice asked as a shiver ran up her spine. Alethea gasped and fearing the face stealer, she cleared her face of any emotion.

"What do you want?" she said through clenched teeth, not daring to move any muscles in her face. "I haven't done anything, and I was told to wait here," she stated as she looked around not seeing where the voice was coming from.

"Nothing, I just want to know what your name is, darling," continued the spirit's voice. It was a very musical voice that was fading in and out like it wanted her to follow it. Alethea almost moved her feet from the spot where she was standing, but a voice in her head said that would be a very bad choice to make.

"Bye, dear child! I hope we will meet again soon!" and the voice disappeared at soon. Alethea turned around at a noise and saw her Great-Uncle Iroh walk out of the forest.

He had something in his hands, and he was holding it almost like some eight-year-old who had found a spotted tree frog and wanted to show it to his friends. She ran over to him and as he was about to speak, she cut in and told him about the voice she had heard while he was in the forest. His brow furrowed, but told Alethea to be wary of it.

Then he said, "My dear one, I have something for you that is very special. It is a spirit animal called a Kali-snake that will morph to any animal that you want or need. I found this one, and I found that it was attuned to you from its birth. Take care of it very well! It is one of a kind, and only the Avatar has anything like it. Once you take it you have to change your name, is that alright, my little butterfly?" Once Alethea nodded he continued on, "The name change will all be worked out once you take this being."

"Thank you, General Iroh," Alethea said solemnly as she bowed one fist in the other. Then she held out her hands and he placed the Kali-snake into Alethea's waiting hands.

The Kali-snake opened one eye and they locked eyes. _Your new name is Katilina. My name is Alenina, Nina for short. _She then closed her eye again and promptly fell back to sleep. Katilina looked up at Iroh and said simply, "Katilina."


End file.
